She had been on remand for months now, though the trial was finally nearing its end. She would be found guilty, of course, and her sentence would be a long one, but she didn’t particularly care. She was neither more nor less happy in prison—it made little difference to her. And in the meantime she had plenty to occupy her mind. Plans to make. It wasn’t over between the Lawsons and her, not by a long shot—she had big things in store for them. And not just the Lawsons, but Clara too.
The way she’d ingratiated herself with Oliver and Rose—“like a daughter to them,” Mac had told her once. The Lawsons were her family, and always would be; Oliver didn’t need another daughter—he had one right here. Then there was the way she’d stuck her nose in where it wasn’t wanted, tricking her way into her flat, laying it on thick in court while the jury lapped it all up. There was no way she was getting away with that.
The door banged shut behind her and as the lock turned, she took a seat on the narrow bed and smiled. It wasn’t so very bad here. After all, it gave her plenty of time to think. They didn’t have much on her: assault, kidnapping, stalking, blackmail. It could have been worse. It was supposed to have been worse. But even if she got ten years or more, it really didn’t matter; the Lawsons, Mac, Clara, they’d all get what they deserved in the end.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Huge thanks to Hellie Ogden and Will Francis at Janklow & Nesbit UK, and to Emma Parry at Janklow & Nesbit US. Thanks so much to my editor Danielle Perez and her assistant, Jennifer Snyder; to Fareeda Bullert, Dan Walsh, Emily Osborne, Loren Jaggers, Sarah Blumenstock, and everyone else at Berkley/Penguin Random House who has played a part in the making of this book. I’m grateful to you all. In the UK, my thanks go to my editor Julia Wisdom, Kathryn Cheshire, Felicity Denham, Laura di Giuseppe, Stefanie Kruszyk, Ellie Game, and Anne O’Brien at HarperCollins. Thank you to Marcus Jones, Laura Espinel Gonzalez, Alex Pierce, and especially to David Holloway.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. The novel alternates primarily between Clara’s and Beth’s perspectives. Why do you think the author chose these two perspectives to focus on? How did the alternating points of view affect your reading of the book?
2. Rose and Oliver withhold information from their children on multiple occasions out of self-preservation, but by doing so they directly endanger them. How do you think they reconciled keeping their secrets while knowing what Hannah was capable of? Do you understand their decisions, and do you have any sympathy for them?
3. As Beth notes, mental illness can be a result of both biological and environmental factors. Do you think that either of these elements had a stronger impact on Hannah than the other? How does the nature-versus-nurture question relate to the other characters in the book as well?
4. How much do you think Luke’s actions and the secrets he kept from Clara were responsible for the events in the book? Do you think the abduction could’ve been avoided if he had been more open about his stalker?
5. Over the course of the novel, Clara learns more and more details about Luke that don’t line up with the person she knows him to be, and she is forced to question what will happen with their relationship if he’s ever found. Were you satisfied with her final decision?
6. How are themes of trust and belonging explored in the novel? What do they mean for Clara? For Hannah? Use specific examples from the book to illustrate your points.
7. A recurring element of the book is the public perception that the Lawsons are good, kind people, and the exploration of people not being what they seem. How would you characterize Rose, Oliver, Tom, Luke, and Emily by the end of the novel?
8. Discuss the character of Mac. Why do you think the author chose to give a brief glimpse into his perspective? Were you surprised by his actions over the course of the book?
9. Do you think rehabilitation is possible for Hannah? Do you think it’s possible for her to make peace with what was done to her and her mother? Why or why not?
READ ON FOR AN EXCERPT FROM
WATCHING EDIE
AVAILABLE NOW FROM BERKLEY
AFTER
Outside my kitchen window the long afternoon empties of light. I look at London stretched out far below, my dripping hands held poised above the sink. The doorbell rings, one long high peal; the broken intercom vibrates. The view from up here, it’s incredible, as if you’re flying. Deptford and Greenwich, New Cross and Erith, then the river, and beyond that there’s the Gherkin, over there the Shard. From my top-floor flat here on Telegraph Hill, you can see forever and as usual it calms me, soothes me: how big it is, how small I am, how far from where I used to be.
The doorbell rings more urgently—whoever it is putting their finger on the buzzer and holding it there. The night hovers.
At first I used to see Heather everywhere. Connor too, of course. From the corner of my eye I’d catch a glimpse of one or the other of them, and there’d be that sharp, cold lurch that would leave me sick and shaken long after I’d realized that it had been an illusion; just a stranger with similar hair or the same way of walking. Whenever it happened I’d go somewhere busy and lose myself among the crowds, roaming the southeast London streets until I’d
